Spokane couple Scot and Treasure Auble have bought the assets of The Quilting Bee Inc., a longtime Spokane Valley quilting store.

Treasure Auble is overseeing the daily operations at the store, which is located in a 7,500-square-foot retail space at 12117 E. Mission, just southeast of the Interstate 90-Pines Road interchange. Scot Auble says they have retained all of the store's 15 employees. He declines to disclose the terms of the transaction.

The Aubles say they plan to expand the Quilting Bee's online presence, which primarily will involve developing an e-commerce site and expanding the company's Facebook presence.

At the store, Scot Auble says, they plan to reconfigure the space to include a seating area where quilters and other customers can congregate. Also, they plan to create a spouse's lounge, where quilter's spouses can hang out while their significant others shop.

The Aubles bought the store's assets from Jackie and Jamie Wolff, who operated it for 27 years. Jackie Wolff, who had managed the store previously, will continue to work there and to teach quilting classes.

The Quilting Bee carries more than 4,000 bolts of fabric and offers more than 200 sewing, quilting, and embroidery classes every year. In addition, the company is a Bernina sewing machine dealer and has an in-house Bernina certified technician.

The quilting shop is the second new venture the couple has undertaken since Scot Auble sold his interest in the Spokane commercial real estate appraisal firm Auble, Jolicoeur & Gentry last year. Earlier this year, the Aubles and another couple, Luigi Reillo and Lori St. Marie, formed an outdoor furniture wholesaling business, called Ideal Outdoor Concepts Inc.

Operating out of a storage space at Fort Knox Storage, at 9310 E. Knox in Spokane Valley, Ideal Outdoor Concepts specializes in selling teak patio sets to small furniture retailers. Auble says the company doesn't have any workers beyond the four owners at this time.

In addition to the two business ventures, Auble says he still handles some commercial real estate reviews and consulting, and his wife operates Treasured Resources, a business consulting company.